This invention relates to covers for infant car seats. In particular, the invention relates to covers which may be placed over infant car seats so as to protect an infant who has been placed in the car seat from the elements, to keep the infant warm or cozy, and to otherwise provide a protective cover over an infant. However, the present invention provides a child protecting outer cover for an infant car seat which may be placed onto the car seat while the car seat is locked in place such as in the rear seat of an automobile or an a wheeled stroller frame; and, moreover, the present invention permits an infant to be placed in the infant car seat or removed therefrom without the necessity of having to remove the cover from the infant car seat.
Even when infants are very small, effectively ranging from neo-natal up to about six or nine or ten months, and in weight up to about 9 kilograms, the infant is generally transported in an infant car seat. Infant car seats generally have the shape of a basket, into which the infant is placed while lying on its back, and into which the infant is then secured using straps over the shoulders and through the legs in what is effectively a three-point restraining harness. Indeed, in most jurisdictions, at least in North America, when an infant is being transported in an automobile it is mandated that the infant must be carried in an infant car seat, which must itself be securely fastened in place using automobile seat belts. The direction in which the infant is placed when placed in the infant car seat in an automobilexe2x80x94forward- or rearward-facingxe2x80x94is also mandated, depending on the weight of the infant.
Sometimes, it is desired to remove the infant car scat from the automobile and carry it by a handle, or place it onto a wheeled stroller frame, when the infant is taken from the automobile. Such instances would include going to the shopping mall, visiting relatives or friends, outings to the park, and so on. In such instances, the infant car seat should be capable of being moved without disturbing the protecting cover over the infant in the infant car seat.
Moreover, when it is desired to place an infant into the infant car seat, or remove the infant therefrom, especially in instances when the infant is going to be carried from and/or to a sheltered environmentxe2x80x94such as from the home to the garage, and vice versaxe2x80x94it is oftentimes desired to leave the infant car seat in place in the automobile. At the same time, it is oftentimes desired to leave the infant cover in place on the infant car seat, even though the infant is to be placed into or removed from the infant car seat.
Still further, it is desirable to open or close at least that portion of the cover which is over the body of the infant, in the event that it is felt that the infant is getting too warm, or to close up the cover over the body of the infant if it is felt that additional warmth and protection is needed. At the same time, depending on the weight of the fabric from which the cover is made, it is possible to provide sufficient warmth for the infant without the necessity of additional blankets and the like, which may weigh heavily against the infant.
On the other hand, it is often felt that at least the face of the infant should be left open for ease of breathing and the like, so an opening is provided for the face of the infant. However, this sometimes leads to a requirement to cover the face of the infant when the infant is being carried outsidexe2x80x94such as when the infant car scat has been removed from an automobile in order to carry the infant into a shopping mall, a doctor""s office, and so on. That, in turn, leads to the necessity for making a provision to protect the face of the infant while, at the same time, permitting adequate freedom to the infant""s face for breathing.
Above all, there is a long-standing requirement for the provision of a protective outer cover for an infant car seat which permits the cover to be put into place over the infant car seat when the car seat is secured in place on a support surface, and more particularly which permits an infant to be placed into or removed from an infant car seat without the necessity of first having to remove the protective outer cover away from the infant car seat.
The inventor herein has unexpectedly discovered that it is possible to meet those requirements by providing a child protecting outer cover for an infant car seat where the cover is constructed such that there is a pair of recloseable body flaps that are formed in the region which covers the body of the infant, and which are openable to the bottom or foot end of the infant car seat while the cover is otherwise secured in place on the infant car seat.
Several patents, and websites selling infant car seat covers, are noted below, with some discussion concerning the product which is described in the noted references.
SCHUTZ U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,453 issued Oct. 23, 1984, teaches an adjustable cover for an infant car seat. In this case, however, the car seat is one which is typically of the sort which is used to transport infants who are at least 9 or 10 kilograms in weight, and who are capable of sitting more or less uprightxe2x80x94as opposed to an infant car seat which is particularly of the sort intended for transporting infants who are placed therein on their backs, and who weigh less than 9 kilograms. Further, the infant cover is one which is intended to fit into the car seat and has a plurality of openings formed in it through which restraining straps of the car seat will extend. Moreover, the adjustable cover is one which is intended to be a cover for the seat, and the child is placed over the cover, rather the being a cover which is placed over an infant when the infant is in the infant car seat.
PERDELWITZ, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,454 issued Jan. 2, 1990, also teach an infant car seat liner which is of the sort which may fit into a variety of different kinds of infant carriers, but so as to line the car seat. The infant seat liner is disposable, since it may be soiled by the infant when in use, because the infant is placed over or on top of the seat liner, rather than being placed over the infant as a cover.
RANALLI U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,090 issued Feb. 19, 1991, teaches a baby blanket which is intended also to line a car seat which is fitted with a harness. Once again, the blanket has a plurality of apertures through which the restraining members of the harness are passed to be fastened around the child, after which the blanket is wrapped around the child and the harness.
BARNES U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,724 issued Sep. 14, 1993, teaches a multi-purpose baby wrap which may be a blanket, a bunting, a pad, or a carrier sling. There are two major parts, a full sized baby blanket, and a large bifurcated pocket which attaches to it. The wrap may be used as a liner in an infant car seat, or in a stroller.
A similar multi-purpose wrap is taught in McENTIRE et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,946 which issued Jul. 21, 1998. Once again, the infant may be placed over the wrap, the restraints put into place, and then the wrap is tucked around the infant.
Yet another wrap for use in both an infant swing and an infant carrier is that taught in STEVENS U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,742 which issued Nov. 23, 1999. This cover has a top sheet and a bottom sheet which are formed by folding a single continuous sheet, the top and bottom sheets being removably connected one to another by snaps or by a zipper. An adjustable flap defines an opening for the head of the infant, when the infant is wrapped into the cover.
KLASSEN U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,355 issued May 2, 2000 (and in cognate published Canadian patent application No. 2,226,877, laid open Jun. 21, 2000), teaches a cover for an infant car seat, where the cover has an elasticized opening at its bottom so that it may be placed over and secured around the infant car seat without disengaging the safety belts of the seat. An opening is provided in the top of the cover, which allows only the upper portion of the body of the infant to be accessed or exposed. This opening for the face of the infant has a flap which may be placed over the face of the infant when necessary, and a mesh is provided so as to allow air circulation and ventilation to be provided to the infant for breathing and for cooling. However, in order to place the infant into the infant car seat, or remove the infant therefrom, it is first necessary to remove the cover away from the infant car seat.
The following websites were available as at the filing date of the present application, and describe products which were then currently available:
Kozy Kid Inc. offered an infant carrier cover at www.kozykid.com, which cover had a long zipper to permit access to an infant, but without any specific opening near the face of the infant.
TEDDY TOPPER(trademark) infant carrier cover was shown at www.teddytoes.com, having an opening for the face of the infant which is shielded by a standup collar, and a drop front which comprises a large flap that is double snapped to the cover to allow access to the baby without removing the cover. There is no flap which covers the face of the infant.
A further baby seat cover is found at www.lilliebugs.com, which comprises only a flap in the head area of the infant, so that the cover can be kept on the car seat for the duration of the outings during which the infant is being transported in the car seat. However, the cover must be removed from the car seat before the infant can be removed.
Another cover having an opening only for the face of the infant is found at www.goincozy.com.
Finally, a further cover which has only an opening for the face of the infant is found at www.spidertel.com/lilys jewels/product.htm.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a child protecting outer cover for an infant car seat which comprises a blanket-like cover adapted for placement over an infant car seat. The cover has at least a major portion thereof which is made from a flexible fabric material. The protecting outer cover has a protecting dome-like configuration so that it may be placed over the top of an infant car seat and so as to extend downwardly at a bottom edge of the cover so as to overlie at least a portion of the sides of an infant car seat when in place thereon.
The cover has an opening formed therein, in a region where the face of an infant would be located when an infant is placed in an infant car seat and the cover is in place on the infant car seat.
There is a recloseable face flap which is located on the cover at an edge of the opening, so as to be placed over and folded away from the face of an infant when an infant is placed in the infant car seat and the cover is in place over the infant car seat.
The cover also has a pair of recloseable body flaps formed in the region thereof which is below the opening for the face. Each body flap has an edge which extends from the opening to the foot of the infant car seat when the cover is in place on the car seat.
The body flap edges are arranged so as to be at least adjacent to each other when the body flaps are closed so as to provide coverage of the infant car seat and the body of an infant therein when the recloseable body flaps are closed and the cover is in place on an infant car seat.
First and second fastening means are provided to maintain the face flap in a closed condition covering the face of an infant, or in an open condition away from the face of an infant, when an infant is placed in an infant car seat and the cover is in place on the infant car seat.
Third fastening means are provided to maintain the pair of recloseable body flaps in a closed condition.
There are securement means provided at the bottom edge of the cover so as to secure it in place over an infant car seat.
Also, there is at least one air passage formed through at least one of the recloseable face flap and the cover in a region adjacent the opening for the face.
Thus, the cover may be put into place over an infant car seat when the car seat is secured into place on a support surface therefor.
Also, an infant may be placed into or removed from an infant car seat when the cover is in place thereon, without having to remove the cover away from the infant car seat.
An aspect of the present invention provides that each of the first and second fastening means may be chosen from the group which consists of hook and loop fasteners, dome fasteners, snap fasteners, and buttons. Likewise, the third fastening means may also be chosen from the same group of fasteners, or it may be a zipper.
The flexible fabric from which a major portion of the cover may be made is chosen from the group which consists of cotton, quilted cotton, flannel, quilted flannel, nylon, quilted nylon, synthetic fabrics, wool, and mixtures thereof.
When the recloseable face flap is formed integrally with the cover, then it is made from the same fabric material as the cover.
Alternatively, when the recloseable face flap is made separately from the cover, and is physically attached thereto such as by being sewn thereto, it may be formed from the same kind of fabric as noted above, or it may be a mesh or a translucent flexible plastic sheeting.
When the third fastening means between the recloseable body flaps is a zipper, then the edges of the body flap lie adjacent each other when in a closed condition. However, when the third fastening means comprises at least one hook and loop fastenerxe2x80x94or, for that matter, at least one dome fastener, snap fastener, or buttonxe2x80x94then the body flap edges lie with one body flap edge overlying the other body flap edge when in a closed condition.
The securement means at the bottom edge of the cover may be chosen from the group which consists of an elasticized hem, a drawstring hem, at least a pair of ties adapted to extend under an infant car seat, at least a pair of elasticized loops adapted to extend under an infant car seat, and mixtures thereof.